Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov, still nursing a right knee injury, had his first full equipment practice with his teammates this morning, but coach Jacques Martin was non-committal about any use of the Russian all-star tonight.

Hal Gill will be a game-time decision. With bodies getting healthier, Martin still said he didn’t believe his team needed eight defencemen. One scenario tonight, should Gill be ready to go, would see Marc-André Bergeron moving up to a forward spot with perhaps Mathieu Darche taking a press box seat.

What if it told you Chara was a -27 in 06/07 and he was an all star that year. Wins and +/- have far more to do with a team as a whole as opposed to an individual player. BTW im not an MAB lover, I’m saying to use him sparingly at FORWARD and not use him at all on D, except as a third defenseman maybe.

He’s perfect to have around especially in a cap world because he’s cheap. He’ll cost about $750000, and so would Dandy. Dandy would love to come back, he wanted to come back, he’s french, he’s won a cup, he’s fast as hell, can hit, throws his body on the line, night in and night out, basically is a mix of Gorges/Gill rolled into one, but with a lot more speed, and again a cheap cap hit. $750000 would get him here and all the money we save by signing these two guys, and getting rid of hammer leaves us more money to sign pleks/jaro/price and 6 other guys who’s roster spots are open for next year! Sounds like a good plan to me

But when the NHL is in a salary cap era, what’s makes sense doesn’t always make business sense! My point is that he is a decent D-man with a lot of offensive skills and the most important fact in this story is that he is a cheap cap hit. When the almighty dollar has the final call on so many teams….cheap cap hit and lots of offense = a bargain hardly worth passing up.

check his minutes on NHL.com he’s been playing lots of minutes in pretty much every game here in the playoffs except for maybe a game or two. Anyhow, you don’t like him, and I do. I just hope we win tonight!

Not his agent, just president of his fan club. And Jaro’s as well. I’m always taking on new members if your interested?

And he fits on the roster and lineup because of his shot, his quick puck movement and his ability to skate. Yes he makes some bonehead plays now and again, but he’s the only guy who’s knocked Crosby on his arce this series and has actually played decent overall. But again his french background, offensive skills, cheap cap hit and versatility will be a very interesting scenario for PG when July 1st comes around.

Dandenault isn’t coming back, Defence next year will be Markov, OB, Subban, Spacek, Gill, Gorges and somebody, but I doubt Dandenault, team will look for a more reliable defensive defencemen than Mara was and go in that direction, but they’ll want size as well. MAB is a luxury item, an offensive defencemen whose only skill is on the PP and in a cap world he’s just not worth having around when you have two elite blueliners in Subban and Markov.

He’s minus 11 as a defenseman, and when you play mostly on the PP you don’t have a lot of opportunities to change that. Almost all of those minuses have been against the Caps who were specifically targetting MAB. Anyways, +/- is one of the most overrated stats in hockey. There’s no denying he’s a terrible defenseman 5 on 5, but he can’t be that bad defensively as a winger.

His cheap price tag and his offensive upside are going to keep him here my friend.

The D will look like this next year.

Markov/Subban

Gorges/Gill

Spacek/MAB and Dandenault will be coming back. Hammer getting traded or bought out and Dandy and MAB costing about 1.5mill together leaves alot of money left over to get some size and scoring for up front!

You do know that the +/- stat is the most useless stat in the history of the NHL right? But to also let you know, the whole team is a minus. Anyway, he’s gonna get a big goal on the PP tonight for the habs!

So I was thinking what about using MAB as a RW 5 on 5 and have him on ice with PK Subban. When PK gets the puck, he can skate up along the right wing boards while MAB drops back in the high slot ready to receive a one timer. The rest of the time he could just float around in the upper slot or right faceoff circle waiting to shoot while Moen sets a screen.

Later on in the game if we have a good lead MAB could be used as a sort of third defenseman protecting the left side of the blue line along the boards, while PK protects the right side, and either O’Byrne or Hal gill protecting the front of the net like a free safety in football (sounds like a cover 3). How’s MAB as a forward on the PK BTW. He could take the spot of one of our skilled forwards like Gomez who is better utilized when trying to score.

Sit MAB. We’re better rolling 4 lines with Darche. Tonights going to be a mostly 5-on-5 game and both teams are going to be playing a disciplined style. They won’t rely on the PP to win it but on good even strength play aka LAPS/Pyatt/ Moore.

“So when the penguin takes a step, its center of mass is low, so when he stops coming up over his leg, the mass moves to the side…and it’s high now, and as it starts rocking backward, it starts falling to the side, it’s also falling forward.” – Tim Griffin, University of California at Berkeley

Falling, indeed.

The Habs, otherwise known as the NHL’s DestinyTeam2010™, continue their righteous march down the gloried path to preordained greatness tonight, sealing the deal on that other notable event, namely the Pittsburgh Penguins Meltdown 2010™.

Even the bashers, so utterly confident in their self-loathing when the chips were down, and now quietly and disingenuously changing the subject, have come around. You know who you are. Everyone here does. Take solace: All is forgiven. Hopefully – albeit not necessarily…I’m cool with that – you will exercise thoughtful restraint when the minutiae of next year’s long season blurs the otherwise inarguable notion that Habs braintrust, both present and of the recent past, gets it.

Getting it doesn’t necessarily deliver success, in particular when it comes to those nefarious handcuffs that one must don when entrusted with the running of one of Montreal’s most prized assets, but getting it absolutely guarantees heart, and we’ve seen what that can do.

For all my perpetual Other TeamMeltdown 2010™ bluster, I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight. I do, however, know that there’ll be one team out there that, although it may have nothing to lose, will find greater motivation in its desire to win.

Sid knows all about being a winner. Love him or hate him, it’s what underpins his character. And it’s clearly disquieting for him to know the other side is loaded with guys who are, as the English are wont to say, up to snuff.

So, bring it on. Bring on the mighty Pens. The Mellon is ripe for the picking.

I really hope that we can win tonight. I haven’t had this much fun watching the playoffs since 2001 ( Roy and Colorado) and I really don’t want it to end. Just like Washington win one road game tonight. Go Habs Go!

Been a Habs fan since I was in 2nd grade and sat behind Patrick Roy at the Aud.

It is bizarre to me how much better Hammer plays when Marky is out of the line-up. Cast into the background when the big Russian is there, Hammer’s game lags. But when Andrei is injured, the Roman Hammer seems to take it upon himself to carry the extra load. I expect a big game from him and Spacek tonight. They may be old and a little run-down, but they are thoroughbreds whose blood stirs in the home stretch.

MAB is a huge liability on defense, but is immensely effective on the PP. Both he and Gomez are the focal points of the PP. MAB must play (throw him on the 4th line) if only on PP. An injured Gill or Markov remains a better option on defense than MAB. Our team inproves if you take MAB off defense and make him a 4th liner /power play specialist.

Wish I knew why Jackie is so enamoured with MAB. Is it just the sense of adventure? A desire to live dangerously? I’d much rather have Darche out there bumping and grinding on the 4th line, than MAB out there for 4 minutes (if we’re lucky) of PP time, firing a shot into the shin pads of a d-man a foot in front of him. That is, when he actually manages to control the puck at the blue line.

I would not mind seeing Metro back on the PP playing the point. No I’m not crazy 1- he has an accurate shot (remember the skills competition. 2- If necessary he can take a faceoff 3- he is not a defensive liability 4- He DID score 10 PP goals this year